Fraser Valley transit strike: Most busses won’t run Monday, Tuesday

Most public transit buses will not be running in the Fraser Valley on Monday and Tuesday, according to a union representing transit workers in the area.

In a news release from The Canadian Union of Public Employees Britsh Columbia (CUPE 561), which represents transit workers in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Agassiz, and Hope, the group says transit operators will stop collecting fares over the two days.

It notes that all services, except for HandyDART, will stop.

Read More: Fraser Valley bus drivers give strike notice, could stop collecting fares Thursday

They are currently in the midst of job action, and the strikes began with drivers refusing to collect fares on Feb. 2nd. The union adds that contract talks have been ongoing since last Spring.

“We had hoped to reach a fair collective agreement without any disruption in service, but First Transit had other ideas. The company cannot be surprised that we have arrived at this point,” CUPE 561 President Jane Gibbons said in the release.

FILE – The union representing transit bus drivers in B.C.’s Fraser Valley has given a 72-hour strike notice and could stop collecting fares starting Thursday. (CityNews Image)

“We were clear when this job action began that we wanted to cause as little inconvenience as possible to the riding public. We wanted to give residents ample notice of what might lie ahead if First Transit did not come to the table with a different approach. But the company did not hear that message and simply refuses to recognize its responsibility to bring compensation for these workers in line with that of other transit workers in the region.”

The union says that a rally is set to be held at noon outside of the Abbotsford City Hall, to help raise awareness about concerns, including low wages and poor working conditions.